


wait another year for a dream far away

by hirokiyuu



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: AU - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 15:43:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20230315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hirokiyuu/pseuds/hirokiyuu
Summary: He's made at least a dozen proposals to the Jackalope King by now.[Enstars Shipping Olympics Round 3 Entry, based onPhi's lovely art!]





	wait another year for a dream far away

**Author's Note:**

> thank you pepp and nikki for the readover!
> 
> title from the bleacher's [wild heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuDDhmO8c68)!

Today Shuu’s brought a kendama, filched from the old cabinet where he and his siblings stored their toys as children. The Jackalope King is inordinately fascinated with it; Shuu’d shown him how to play but the King doesn’t quite seem able to get the trick of it. He’s got the ball balanced on one end of the cup, but when he gives it a toss the string catches it before it reaches its apex and the whole thing tugs itself from the King’s hands before clattering to the pebbled ground.

The King bends down to pick it up, a pout stretched over his face, and the whole expression is so endearing that before Shuu knows what he’s doing he’s dropped his sewing to his side, stood up, and shouted, “Marry me!”

“Can you even say anything else?” the King says. He rolls his eyes and misses the toy, but there’s a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. When he tilts his head at Shuu, his coat slides down his shoulder minutely; he props his chin in his free hand as he says, “How many times are you going to ask the same question?”

“As many times as it takes.”

The King laughs as he scoops up the toy, rolling his eyes again as he straightens up, a speckling of sun overlaying the marks on his cheeks. He’s breathtaking like this -- just as he was a moment ago, pouting in the dirt like a child. It’s so strange. All the time they’ve spent together and even the things Shuu’s seen that he’d disdain in other people keep seeming to catch his eye. “Marry me,” Shuu says again, only this time, for some inexplicable reason, it’s shaky and breathless, catching in his throat.

The King -- pauses. For a moment he just stares at Shuu, lips parted, eyes wide. It’s not an expression Shuu’s ever seen on his face. The air hangs heavy between them; the wind has stopped. Shuu can’t name the thing scratching at his face, at his fingers, at his chest. His heart, for whatever reason, is going double time.

And then the King smiles at him, looks down at the kendama in his hand. “Try again tomorrow,” he says, balancing the ball once more, and just like that the moment’s broken. The wind brushes a hair against the King’s cheek and he brushes it back absently. Shuu’s heart still hasn’t quite managed to slow.

“Alright,” Shuu says, sitting down, settling himself, picking up his needle once more. “Alright.”

**Author's Note:**

> a kendama is a [traditional jp kids toy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendama); theres' probably an english name for it but i dont know what that would be LOL
> 
> if there are any errors its bc i wrote this in abt five hours and came back from vacation yesterday so im operating at 3% braincell power. i meant to type 30% but 3% is probably more accurate tbh
> 
> as always catch me on twit on @yuunamakis for writing stuff or on @hirokiyuus if u just wanna chat! comments & kudos are always appreciated! <3


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